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How can I get free time?

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by les.kirk

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I recently read another post from an individual who was experiencing problems with his boss and unrealistic deadlines for software development. I completely understand his position and am in a similar situation myself, however, the issue is due to lack of people on our project. Let me explain....

My company has a contract to provide 24x7 production support to another company, but we only have 12 people on our project. The company we are contracted too wants us to cut 2 people by mid September due to cut backs and budget constraints on their end.

Here is the delimma, we (people on our project) never get any time off to ourselves. I personally, being the senior member on the team, am on-call 24x7 to answer questions from junior team members and have not had a "real" day off in more than 9 months without getting a call.

I have been on this project for nearly two years now and quite frankly am burned out. I have almost 2 months of vacation time built and have been told that I cannot take any of it due to the nature of the project, yet I am not compensated (allowed to cash it in) for it either. I average 50 to 60 hours per week as it is (on salary) and would really like to get away for awhile.

How can I get free time in a situation such as this? I really like my job and the people I work for, but I need some time to myself as well and with my better half. She's getting really annoyed at the situation too.

Can anyone give me some good advice that will get more time without having to quit or look for another job?

5 replies

by jmschattke9

Well, most places have 2 guys who switch off being on-call. If you don't on this project, train someone post-haste, and start switching off carrying the hot pager. Then you can spell him for his vacation, and he can spell you.

You have trasitioned, it seems from development to production, witout being given a production team - fairly common in small companies. The truth is, really good development people usually cannot stand being production/maintainence and I don't think your bosses realize that.

Hire technicians and administrators to watch the systems. Then get on to what you should be doing - making new things. Work with your upper management to get it done and it should be cheaper for the company.

by edglock21

You may also let management know that you're burning out and NEED this remedy.

Ask how many days off they've had in the past 9 months and if it's too much to ask that you take a week or two off after your counter-part is educated to be on-call.

by stress junkie

If your employer has only one customer then they are in a precarious financial position. A change in the support to one customer shouldn't have a drastic impact on employee status. Your employer needs to get more customers and to hire some extra IT people to cover sick days and vacations.

by tony hopkinson

window, run generally amok and get prescribed six months off with pay for stress, THEN take your holidays.
And yes I'm dead serious, you're going to end up in a pine overcoat if you keep taking crap like that, its not worth it.

by jdclyde

so you can't be contacted.

That or specificaly go somewhere that doesn't have coverage if that is possible in your area.

That or just stand up and schedule for someone to cover and the rest disapear. Then take turns.

Don't ask, just do it. As long as SOMEONE is covering, the boss has no grounds to complain.

Good luck.

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